Connecting Metro rail lines: Public meetings start 2/26

For all of you who exaggerate and complain that Metro rail goes from nowhere to nowhere: I hope you can make it to the Metro Regional Connector Transit Corridor Study public meetings that will, you know, discuss connecting things.

More specifically, this Regional Connector study is looking into ways to link up the Gold, Blue and Expo rail lines -- a rather tough task, considering that the Expo line's still getting built and the Metro Gold line East Side extension won't happen until sometime in the future. Still, here's your chance to help Metro get connected while using some creative imagination to picture what L.A. rail will look like in the future. Get thee to one of the two meetings:

• Tues., Feb. 26, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. 1st St., Los Angeles.
• Thurs., Feb. 28, from noon – 1:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles.

At the meeting, you'll get to see Metro's presentation on potential alignments and station locations, as well as ask your burning questions and give your feedback. Pre-meeting, check out the Regional Connector website for more details on what's happened with the study so far.

Comments

[Tim Buchheim]

Trivia: the blue line was always supposed to go to union station.. The existing (Pasadena) portion of the gold line was originally supposed to be part of the blue line. Only after they decided to end the blue line at 7th did they rename the pasadena portion to be the gold line. (see wikipedia for details)

I'd like to see it pass under Bunker Hill, with access to the music center.. walking up the hill from the red line can be a pain (and it doesn't look like angels flight will be running anytime soon). I suppose there would be less duplication of service with the red line if it were built on one of the other routes, but I imagine blue line service to the courts (and other government buildings) and the cathedral would be pretty heavily used if a bunker hill route were implemented.

If possible, it should terminate at Union Station for easy connections to Amtrak/Metrolink and many buses. It could share alignment with a small portion of the east side gold line extension. If it followed the northernmost route on the map (near the 101) and then followed the new gold line tracks to union station that would work well. If it shared a platform with gold line trains that would be especially convenient for people who are transferring trains, although they would definitely need to improve signage on the rail cars to indicate which line a given train is on. (They should look at CTA trains in Chicago for the general idea.. they should improve this on the red/purple lines, too)

[Phil Herber]

I don't understand the decision to extend the Gold Line to Montclair other than the use of existing track. THERE IS ALREADY SERVICE FROM MONTCLAIR TO Union Station VIA METROLINK. MTA would serve the foothill communities (Monrovia, Azusa, Glendora, San Dimas, Laverne, Claremont, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Rialto, San Bernardino, Highland) by continuing the Gold Line along the 210 freeway.

[spence]

The further south on Alameda it goes, the better. Ideally, a line that has a stop near the Greyhound terminal/Toy lofts/American Apparel factory would be the best. Alameda is a traffic nightmare and has no decent bus service, tons of workers, and an increasing population.

[thealaskan]

awww shucks I thought that "connecting Metro rail" meant that our mandarins would propose a system that shared tracks and cars so to make running trains down the line as seamless as those in DC, NYC, SFO, Cleveland and other cities. I can't wait to make a pitch for the new station artwork. I'm so glad that Mayor Bradley caved and that one line was not made in Japan so that our rail system rates somewhat below an HO Lionel set in competing with a decent bus line. Build Metro To The Sea! Thus sayeth the tax paying lemming riding the Green Line to nowhere or maybe its the blue line that replaced the bus line?

[Dan Downtown Dweller]

The Red Line needs to connectt to the Chinatown station, not Union Station. Chinatown is a vital part of Downtown and it the only part of Downtown that is close to a "24 hour City." Connecting up Broadway, over College to the Chinatown station opens the door to easy access to Dodger Stadium and an NFL stadium if one is ever built in Chavez Ravine

[Alan Fishel]

My vote is for the connector to continue north under Flower with a station as part of the Grand Ave project at First and Grand or Olive where it comes to the surface. Then on the north side of First St in grass right of way to San Pedro where First could be a transit and walking maul to Central Ave where First would be open to automobile traffic again to where it meets the Gold Line at First and Alameda.

Every other Blue Line and Expo Line train world through route with either the Gold Line to Pasadena or the Gold Line to East LA.

This world relieve congestion at the 7th St Metro Station, serve the Civic Center offices and Little Tokyo, and bring Little Tokyo’s core to a visitor friendly walk able East First Street.